Eyeglass-frame



(No Model.)

R. B. FOWLER. EYEGLASS FRAME.

No. 566,304. Patentd Aug. -26, 1896.

Q41 H D UNITED STATES PATENT @EETQE.

RUFUS B. FOWLER, OF \VORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

EYEG LASS-FRAM E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,304, dated August 25, 1896. Application filed July 7, 1894. Serial No. 516,841. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RUFUS BENNETT Fow- LER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of W'orcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Eyeglass- Frames, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same, and in which Figure 1 represents a rear view of an eyeglass-frame embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same. Fig. 3 represents the bridge of the frame in an extended form as cut from sheet metal and before it has been bent. Fig. 4: is a sectional view on line 4: 4,, Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a central sectional view of the bridge, taken in the plane of the attaching-screw.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the different figures.

My invention relates to certain improve ments in an eyeglass-frame in which the noseguard spring is attached to the outer side and central section of a rigid bridge uniting the eye-wires; and it consists in certain features of construction as hereinafter described and set forth in the annexed claims,

Referring to the drawings, A A denote the eye-wires, and B the bridge, having its ends soldered to or otherwise attached to the eyewires and forming a rigid bridge uniting the eye-wires.

The bridge B is bent into the form shown in Fig. 1, the central section being bent into the form of an arch O and having the straight arms D D extending from the central arch, with their ends attached to the eye-wires. Upon the outer side of the bridge I attach a nose-guard spring E, formed in a single piece and attached at its central section by a screw F to the central section of the bridge.

The bridge B is offset the width of the spring E at G G, Fig. 2, to allow the noseguard spring to extend over the outer surface of the arched portion of the bridge with its free ends H H curved toward each other. To the free ends of the nose-guard spring I attach the nose-guards I I, the nose-guards being wholly carried upon the ends of the nose-guard spring and free from any attachment to the other portions of the frame. The

nose-guards I I are preferably supported by means of a metallic band J, bent at .l J, and having its ends united to the free ends of the nose-guard spring by means of screws K K; but I do not confine myself to any particular form of nose-guard.

The bridge B is cut from a strip of sheet metal in the form represented at Fig. 3, the central portion being bent to form the arch of the bridge.

The bridge B is offset at G G, and its width is increased at its central section by means of a projectingwingL in order to give greater strength to the central part of the bridge, which receives the screw-hole F. The wing L is turned up at right angles with the body of the bridge, forming a lip L, against which the edge of the spring E bears in order to hold the spring from rotation on the screw F. Above the spring E, I place a rigid bar N, so as to limit the bending of the spring E and cause the strain upon the spring to be received by the ends N N of the rigid bar, and thereby relieve the central portion of the spring Where it is weakened by the screw-hole from strain. The piece N also allows the tension of the spring to be varied by increasing or decreasing its length. By turning the wing L to form a lip L, I greatly stiffen the bridge at its central section in a vertical plane and prevent its being bent, so as to vary the distance of the eye-wires from each other.

I am aware that it is not new to attach the nose-guard spring to the central section and outer side of the bridge, but the above-described features of construction of the bridge I deem to be new, and I also deem it to be new to support the nose-guards entirely upon the free ends of a nose-guard spring which is so attached to the bridge.

The bridge is cut from sheet metal of suitable width and thickness to secure the necessary rigidity and strength, and the width of the bridge is reduced at 3 3 by contracting the front side of the bridge,leaving the line 4 4 straight for the edge of the spring to bear against and making the line 3 5 parallel with the line 4 4 in order to make the arms D D of uniform width for a short distance from their ends and of the proper width to be attached to the eye-wires.

I am aware that a rigid bridge having ofisets, so as to bring the free ends of the noseguard spring out of the plane of the eye wires, is old, and I do not claim such, but I deem it to be new to cut the bridge from sheet metal with the oiiset G G formed in the bridge Without bending and with the offsets parallel with the surface of the sheet metal.

I do not confine myself to the use of eyewires, as the ends of the bridge can be attached to the lenses in What are known as frameless eyeglasses.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an eyeglass-frame, the combination of a bridge formed from a sheet-metal blank having a central section and arms D, D, at the ends of said central section, said arms being offset at G, G, in the plane of said blank and having the central section bent to form the arch of the bridge, a lip L projecting from the edge of said central section, said lip being bent at right angles to the plane of the blank, a nose-guard spring attached at its central section to the upper side of the central section of said bridge with the edge of said spring abutting against said lip and the nose-guards carried by the ends of said spring, substantially as described.

2. In an eyeglass-frame, the combination with a bridge, of a lip projecting from the central section of said bridge and forming an angle with the upper surface of said bridge, and a nose-guard spring attached to the upper side of said bridge with its edge bearing against said lip, substantially as described.

3. In an eyeglass-frame, the combination of a bridge, a nose-guard spring attached at its central section to the upper side of said bridge, nose-guards carried by the ends of said spring and a bar N attached at its central section to said bridge and having its free ends overlapping said nose guard spring whereby said nose-guard spring is clamped between said bar and said bridge, substantially as described.

Dated this 3d day of July, 1894.

RUFUS B. FOIVLER.

Vitnesses:

C. W. HoBBs, EMMA KESTER. 

